PAr.’, 
S.  AMER. 


Mexico  to  Texas 

A.  M.  G. 

‘‘>^N  the  border”  has  become  a phrase  as 
familiar  to  our  ears  as  “somewhere  in 
France”,  although,  thank  God,  containing  far 
less  of  tragedy.  ^ Our  study  of  Spanish-speak- 
ing Americans  is  closely  linked  with  that  of 
our  neighbors  across  the  line,  and  much 
knowledge  of  what  they  are  and  what  they 
need  on  this  side  of  the  Rio  Grande  may  be 
gathered  by  learning  of  the  people  from  whom 
they,  or  their  forbears,  have  come. 

“The  border”— What  is  it?  Where  is  it? 
How  came  it  there?  The  answers,  as  re- 
vealed by  history,  are  far  from  creditable  to 
the  United  States. 

Aboriginal  Mexico  included  a large  area 
to  the  north  of  the  present  Mexican  boun- 
daries. Its  most  highly-civilized  inhabi- 
tants were  the  Aztecs,  a people  whose  few 
remains  in  engineering  and  architecture  are 
wonders  even  in  our  day. 

The  next  chapter  in  Mexican  history,  that  of 
the  Spanish  Conquest,  under  Cortes,  is  a tale 
of  blood  and  death— the  death  not  only  of 
persons  but  of  civilization.  Treachery  and 
cruelty  marked  the  dealings  of  Spain  with  the 
natives,  as  in  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico.  Taking 
full  advantage  of  a legendary  tale  that  one 
day  a race  of  people  would  come  to  Mexico 
from  the  land  of  the  rising  sun,  the  Spaniards 
heaped  insult  and  wrong  upon  those  who  had 
welcomed  them  cordially  and  generously. 

Early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  revolution 
broke  out,  but  was  quelled  by  the  Spanish 
rulers — quelled,  but  its  spirit  was  not  de- 
stroyed. It  broke  out  again  and  again,  until 
“nothing  was  left  to  Spain  of  the  brightest 
jewel  in  her  crown  save  the  cities  of  Vera 
Cruz,  Perok  and  Acapulco.” 


The  United  States  of  Mexico  was  estab- 
lished, but  lasted  only  a few  months,  intrigue 
and  scheming  resulting  in  the  proclamation  of 
the  latest  leader  of  the  revolution  as  Emperor 
of  Mexico.  Internal  strife  continued,  and  then 
came  the  French,  with  armed  demand  for  the 
settlement  of  French  claims. 

In  1820  a grant  of  land  in  Texas  had  been 
made  by  Mexican  authority  to  Moses  Austin, 
of  Missouri.  By  1833,  in  defiance  of  Mexican 
law,  there  were  20,000  men  from  the  United 
States  in  Texas,  and  they  decided  to  separate 
from  Mexico  and  become  independent  — the 
Lone  Star  State. 

The  United  States  government  acquiesced, 
but  urged  claims  for  settlement  by  Mexico  in 
both  Texas  and  California.  When  Texas 
was  admitted  to  the  Union,  in  1845,  feeling 
became  so  bitter  that  war  broke  out  between 
the  two  countries — “a  war  that  should  never 
have  been  undertaken”,  writes  a historian. 
“That  the  government  of  the  United  States 
was  in  the  wrong  is  the  verdu  t of  all  civilized 
nations.” 

At  the  close  of  the  Mex  an  War,  New 
Mexico  and  Upper  California  were  ceded  to 
the  United  States.  “No  one  has  attempted  to 
explain  by  what  right  Texas  was  annexed  to 
the  Union  after  the  Sabine  River  had  been 
formally  settled  upon  as  the  boundary  between 
Mexico  and  the  United  States.” 

So  much  for  the  past.  ^ The  present  is  too 
near  at  hand  for  historical  visioning.  The 
border?  It  lies  along  the  Rio  Grande,  from 
Brownsville  to  El  Paso,  and  west  to  the 
Pacific.  It  is  there  because  of  events  reflecting 
little  credit  on  either  nation,  though  it  is 
charitable  to  say  that  Mexico,  down-trodden, 
uneducated,  blood-drenched,  is  more  to  be 
pitied  than  blamed. 

What  next,  no  one  can  say.  But  out  of 
the  history  thus  hurriedly  sketched,  some 
things  stand  out  clearly. 

There  are  but  two  classes  in  Mexico— the 
“high-born”  and  the  hopelessly  poor  — and 
by  both  manual  labor  is  considered  degrad- 


ing.  Merely  crossing  the  line  does  not 
change  this  conception,  and  it  forms  one  of 
the  great  difficulties  in  our  industrial  schools. 
But  the  necessities  of  life  have  forced  the 
people  into  unwilling  labor,  and  there  are 
“few  classes  of  laborers  who  do  more  work 
for  less  money  than  the  Mexican  peon.” 

The  Spaniards  took  from  the  country,  in 
leaving  it,  all  they  could  “get  away  with”, 
and  the  promoters  of  each  succeeding  tide 
of  revolution  have  followed  their  example. 

Lack  of  schools  has  produced  gross  ignor- 
ance. Mistreatment  and  systematic  circula- 
tion of  falsehoods  have  made  the  people 
bitter  against  the  “gringoes”.  A recent  writer 
says,  “The  American  soldiers  have  won  the 
friendship  of  the  Mexicans  who  have  had  a 
chance  to  get  a real  acquaintance  with  them. 
They  have  won  this  friendship  by  constant 
fair  dealing  in  their  relations  with  the  natives, 
by  liberally  disseminating  American  gold  in 
return  for  the  goods  of  the  country,  and  by 
touching  the  imagination  of  the  simple-minded 
children  of  nature  who  make  up  the  popula- 
tion of  rural  Mexico.  That  is  the  point  that 
impressed  me  most.  The  Americans  . . . 
have  made  it  interesting  to  be  good.  . . . 
Not  as  a punitive  expedition,  but  as  a cam- 
paign of  education.  General  Pershing’s  trip 
through  Mexico  is  bearing  its  richest  fruit.” 

One  of  our  own  workers  “on  the  border” 
says  of  the  refugee  Mexicans,  “The  sacrifice 
is  great  to  leave  a comfortable  little  home, 
surrounded  by  friends  and  all  that  is  familiar, 
to  go  to  a strange  land  with  strange  customs 
and  language.  It  would  be  hard  enough 
if  this  change  were  made  from  choice,  but 
when  one  is  compelled  to  flee  for  life  and 
safety,  taking  only  a few  personal  belongings 
that  may  be  tied  in  a bundle,  each  step  of  the 
way  is  filled  with  fear. 

“Although  the  boundary  line  is  only  the 
Rio  Grande,  which  may  be  crossed  at  any 
place  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  it  is  so 
well  guarded  that  one  must  go  only  to  certain 
places,  there  often  to  undergo  treatment  at  a 


disinfectant  station,  and  perhaps  to  lose  one’s 
few  possessions  for  the  lack  of  money  to  pay 
duty.  Thus  the  refugees  arrive  on  this  side 
without  money,  or  extra  clothing,  often,  and 
with  no  place  to  stay. 

“Rents  are  exorbitant  and  work  hard  to  get, 
so  the  people  are  compelled  to  live  in  close 
quarters,  several  families,  frequently,  in  one 
small  room,  with  a single  window,  or  perhaps 
none  at  all. 

“Though  in  a land  of  safety  they  are  not 
free  from  fear,  ior  they  have  been  taught  to 
distrust  the  Americans,  and  to  believe  they 
will  suffer  at  the  hands  of  American  soldiers 
as  they  do  from  Mexican  soldiers. 

“I  am  glad  to  add  that  they  take  on  Ameri- 
can ways  quite  readily,  and  improve  in  their 
ways  of  living  as  fast  as  conditions  under 
which  they  live  will  permit” 

From  Mexico — into  Texas — what  then? 
The  answer  to  that  question  will  be  vitally 
affected  by  the  support  given  to  our  Home 
Missionary  work  in  the  Southwest. 


Woman’s  Home  Missionary  Society 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 
50  or  less,  6c.;  50  /to  100,  lOe. 


